October

Yesterday at the Circuit Civil Court, €10,000 negligence compensation was awarded against the Mater Private Hospital after a man (31) had his operation cancelled, due to a vital piece of medical equipment not being in the surgical pack, despite having been put under general anaesthetic.

Judge John O’ Connor was made aware how Peter Keegan was in the hospital for a surgical procedure on his right hip on 25 November 2016. Keegan, with an address at Woodbine Park, Raheny, Dublin 5 was represented in court by Barrister Conor Kearney, appearing with Mark Tiernan, of Tiernan & Company solicitors. Judge O’Connor was informed that Mr Keegan had been admitted to the hospital’s short stay procedure unit at early that morning. His client had been administered the anaesthetic at 7.30am, before the procedure was due to begin. it was then noticed, when the operation set of instruments had been first opened, that an irrigation extender was not present as it should have been. The missing piece of equipment, the Judge was told, had been sent out to be fixed four weeks earlier. However, it had not been replaced and, when Mr Keegan awoke from the anaesthetic at around 8.30am, he was informed that his operation had not gone ahead. This caused him some worry and the team of nurses with him advised of the error that had been made. Mr Keegan told the Court that he was still extremely drowsy when he had been sent home some time later and he had suffered stomach discomfort and nausea in the days following this.

The procedure was arranged again for ten days later on December 5. Mr Keegan informed the Judge that he had been very concerned in the run up to the new operation. He told the judge that he had been nervous about taking the anaesthetic once more.

Judge O’Connor said that he thought there had been some level negligence on the side of the Mater Private Hospital in what he labelled to as an ‘unfortunate incident’. He went on to say that he felt Mr Keegan had been emotionally impacted after the incident despite being fortunate that there had been no long-term consequences due to the surgical mistake.

€10,000 delayed Treatment due to Negligence Compensation against the Mater Private Hospital was awarded in relation to the case.